The benefits of regular aerobic exercise have been well established and accepted. However, due to time constraints, inclement weather, and other reasons, many people are prevented from aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, running, and swimming. As a result, a variety of exercise equipment has been developed for aerobic activity.
From their humble beginnings as free weights and bicycles mounted on wooden platforms, exercise equipment such as stationary bicycles, treadmills, elliptical fitness trainers, stair climbers, and the like have grown increasingly sophisticated. However, the very advantage of the exercise equipment referenced above—the ability to use such equipment conveniently, in a relatively confined space, and in inclement weather—results in exercise devices that can be relatively monotonous to use. It is well known that the more stimulating and enjoyable the experience of exercising is to a user, the longer and more frequently that user will exercise. Unfortunately, many users find spending long hours doing repetitive forms of stationary exercise hard work and boring, sometimes so much so that the exercise equipment is abandoned in favor of more entertaining activity.
One type of exercise machine addresses the repetition of movement of the user by enabling the user to exercise without requiring a predetermined motion thereby gaining the desirable result of increasing mobility and freedom of movement, while minimizing boredom. Examples of such user defined motion fitness equipment can include pendulum motion-type exercise apparatus. Such user defined motion fitness equipment allow the user to control the foot path rather than the machine guiding the foot such as current elliptical machines, stepping machines and stationary cycles. One benefit user defined motion fitness equipment is that the user is able to control the stride length and overall foot motion to fit their needs, such as to replicate running, walking, or stepping. Another benefit is that the user can change between such motions whenever desired using a single exercise device.
However, existing user defined motion fitness equipment, such as pendulum motion-type exercise apparatus, have drawbacks. Existing user defined motion fitness equipment typically necessarily include limits or stops to prevent excessive travel or stride of the exercise device. Such limits or stops are necessary to prevent users from inadvertently over-extending or injuring themselves during use, and in some instances to prevent premature wear or failure of the exercise device. Existing exercise devices with end of travel limits or stops typically include very abrupt stops that provide a substantially immediate stop or end to the travel of the exercise device. These stops can be quite sudden and, at a minimum, can be unpleasant to the user. In more severe instances, such abrupt stops can contribute to an injury of the user. Abrupt stops can also interrupt the feel or the rhythm of a user's exercise routine.
Thus, a continuing need exists for an exercise device having a natural feeling end of travel stop. It would be advantageous to have a stop that was not abupt, but rather, provide a gentle indication to the user of the approaching end of travel. What is needed is an exercise device that enables the user to exercise muscles in a smooth natural manner over a large range of motion, without applying undesirable abrupt stops or limits to the user's motion. It would be desirable for such an exercise device to be configured for convenient use in a relatively confined space even in inclement weather. Further, a continuing need also exists for an exercise device that provides a variety of user defined unique engaging motions and is fun to use. It would also be desirable for such an exercise device to control or stop the travel when the user's foot reaches limits of travel of user defined motion fitness equipment without detracting from the unique engaging motion of the exercise device.